interstices

Dear readers,

This is usually a time of year when many of us are feeling a bit worn out, our thoughts are already racing ahead at breakneck speed, and we’re looking forward to a peaceful summer break – or at least picturing it in bright colours. Summer means recharging your batteries: even for those who aren’t going away, life slows down a little, and the long evenings invite you to wind down by the lake or in the countryside.

At the same time, there’s so much going on around us that it hardly seems possible to switch completely into „holiday mode".

Here at SOCIUS, we traditionally make the most of the summer – before people start going on holiday here and there – for our three-day summer retreat in Stolzenhagen in the Lower Oder Valley: a retreat to develop our own ideas and clarify internal matters. This time, the focus was on our working structures – refining our role-based approach, offering mutual support, and setting out together with renewed energy, motivation and a sense of self-efficacy.

Yet the political upheavals continue to weigh heavily on us. The upcoming elections in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in September have long been casting a shadow. The pressure on civil society is increasing continuously and dramatically – through the restructuring of funding mechanisms, the delegitimisation of organisations and recent attempts to restrict freedom of information. There is every reason to be outraged. Anger is a helpful form of energy – it helps to ensure that fear and discouragement do not have the last word. At the same time, it is encouraging to see how quickly networking, coordination and solidarity can emerge. And experience shows that part of this emotional rollercoaster is also a return to calm and reflection – to take stock, focus on what really matters and act strategically.

We’ve rummaged through our toolbox and put together a range of resources that could help organisations find stability and direction amidst all this turmoil. Some of it still needs a little time to develop. In the meantime, we’ll be opening the doors to our salon in July, August and September – for whatever needs to be said, thought about or shared at the moment.

As well as sending our warmest wishes for rest, rejuvenation and that summery sense of light-heartedness, we hope to see some of you at our events – whether they’re open salons, workshops or information sessions!

Joana Ebbinghaus